It’s Time to Start Recycling Your Hair

You've probably already mastered the art of recycling plastic water bottles and tossing scraps of paper into blue bins. But what about recycling your hair? That's what New Zealand–based salon owner Shazly Rasheed is doing. The 47-year-old hairstylist isn't letting chopped ends go to waste. Instead, she saves the hair so that it can be reused as compost, which helps farmers add nutrients to soil. Yes, recycling your hair is actually a thing.

"A lot of my clients are gardeners by trade or like to garden as a hobby," Rasheed told the Daily Mail. "So they told me about hair making a great compost. It's also a really good water retainer."

And that's not the only way that Rasheed is making a positive impact on the environment. The building that her salon is in is also eco-friendly. "It's well insulated and has energy-efficient LED lighting to reduce power demands." There's also water-saving devices installed in the shop to help cut down on the amount of water that is wasted while washing clients' hair.

Rasheed and her staff also use vegan hair-care products on their clients—like Chi's ammonia-free coloring options. Even the foil used for highlights is recycled. Rasheed said it best: "If everyone does a little bit for the environment every day, we can help slow climate change."